The graduating class of '23 and '24 have their coursework organized around "Fields of Study." This matches the graduate program's themes of research and coursework organization.
Beginning with the class of '25, the department has reorganized and updated the undergraduate curriculum around "Career Concentrations." This changes some of the requirements and reorganizes research themes. The Class of 2025 will declare their intention to select the "Fields of Study" or "Concentrations" organization for their major. The default assumption is that the Class of 2025 will use the new requirements as outlined below, but members of the Class of 2025 can opt for the existing requirements, since in many cases students have taken classes in anticipation of this course of study. Each student must choose at the time of declaring the major.
Members of the Class of 2025 who have already declared will complete the major under the "fields of study" requirements.
Members of the Class of 2026 and beyond will use the "concentrations" requirements to guide their major progress.
Expand the tabs below to explore.
Major Requirements
NOTE: Students who have completed POLSCI 130D Introduction to Political Inquiry may count this course as 1 of the 3 elective courses.”
- Foundation Courses
- STA 101 Data Analysis and Statistical Inference OR Higher Level OR ECON 104D
- One of the following:
POLSCI 175FS Freedom and Responsibility
POLSCI 180FS Hierarchy and Spontaneous Order: The Nature of Freedom in Political and Economic Organizations
POLSCI 175 Introduction to Political Philosophy
POLSCI 275 Left, Right and Center
- Two courses (100-Level & 300 - Level) AND a capstone course (3 courses total) selected from one of the following Fields of Study:
- Two courses selected from a second field
- Three elective courses taught by the political science department, or approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies
Track your project toward degree:
Download Political Science Major Checklist (doc - 35 KB)
Minor Requirements (5 Courses)
- At least two courses at the 300 or higher level
- Four courses must be Duke courses taught by a member of the political science instructional staff
Major Requirements
NOTE: Students who have completed POLSCI 130D Introduction to Political Inquiry may count this course as 1 of the 3 elective courses.”
- Foundation Courses
- STA 198L Introduction to Health Data Science /199L Introduction to Data Science and Statistical Thinking (or other STA course, approved for cause by the DUS)
- POLSCI 175 Introduction to Political Philosophy
- The requirements specified in one of the following Concentrations (click on the links for more information, because each Concentration is different):
- Two courses selected from non-concentration fields (courses do not have to be from the same field)
- Of the political science courses required for each subfield, at least six must be Duke courses taught by a member of the Duke instructional staff. However, this requirement may be reduced to five courses if the student: 1) is engaged in political science courses in a year-long study abroad through either a Duke-administered or Duke-approved program, or 2) transferred to Duke after completing two undergraduate years at another institution.
- In satisfying the requirements of the major, students in the Robertson Scholars Program may count, exclusive of transfer courses, as many as two University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill courses offered at a level below the 400 level at Duke.
Starting in the Spring Semester of 2024, majors and minors will be able to take one 100-level course Sat/Unsat and count that course toward their major or minor.
Additional courses taken S/U will not be counted towards the major or minor.
The statistics requirement for the major cannot be fulfilled by a course taken S/U.
If more than one course was taken S/U before Spring 2024 or if an S/U course was taken above the 100-level before Spring 2024, those courses will count toward the major. However, if students have taken an S/U course before Spring 2024, they cannot count toward the major additional S/U courses taken in Spring 2024 and beyond.
Please contact Tosha Marshall or the DUS if you have any questions about this policy.
Course levels
- Political Science 100-199: Introductory courses in subfields and foundation courses. Students must take any one (1) subfield introduction listed at the 100 level before taking 300 or higher listings. They may, however, take 200-level courses without any prerequisite.
- Political Science 200-299: Nonintroductory courses with no prerequisite.
- Political Science 300-399: Intermediate courses that require any one subfield introduction course taken at the 100 level.
- Political Science 400-499: Advanced undergraduate and capstone courses that require an intermediate subfield course taken at the 300 level in addition to meeting all of the general requirements of the major.
- Political Science 500-699: Advanced undergraduate and introductory graduate courses.
Departmental Graduation with Distinction
The department offers students majoring in political science an opportunity to achieve Graduation with Distinction in political science by the submission of an original research paper.
To be eligible for honors, students must have:
- taken four courses in the subfield of your proposed research;
- completed Statistical Science 198/199 or higher (Statistical Science 210 or the equivalent is recommended), the political theory requirement (Political Science 175), and a minimum of six courses in political science;
- the statistics requirement may be waived if students are pursuing honors in the area of political theory; or
- have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3, and a major GPA of 3.5; this GPA must be maintained until graduation.
The goal of honors in political science is an original research paper of journal length (approximately 50 pages), which will be submitted to the Honors Thesis Committee by December 15 and March 1 of each year. The key criterion is that the paper must feature original research, and be conducted at a level that satisfies professional standards.
The Honors Thesis Committee will, in most cases, either accept or reject the paper for honors and the paper will be read by a minimum of two members of the committee. A revision may be requested by the committee (to be conducted by the student in the spring semester and due by April 1). If at all possible, students should start working on their honors research the spring of the junior year and over that summer.
Students may begin their honors research by producing a quality, journal-level paper in:
- a 400-, 500-, or 600-level political science seminar; or
- an independent study.
Often, the student will need to polish the paper during or after these options before submitting it to the Honors Thesis Committee. It is strongly suggested that the student submit a draft of the thesis before March 1.
Requirements. A minimum of five courses in political science, at least two of which are at the 300 or higher level. Four courses must be Duke courses taught by a member of the Duke political science instructional staff; one course may be a transfer course. However, in satisfying the minor, students in the Robertson Scholars Program may count, exclusive of the transfer course, one course taken at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Advanced Placement courses do not satisfy course requirements for the minor.
Starting in the Spring Semester of 2024, majors and minors will be able to take one 100-level course Sat/Unsat and count that course toward their major or minor.
Additional courses taken S/U will not be counted towards the major or minor.
The statistics requirement for the major cannot be fulfilled by a course taken S/U.
If more than one course was taken S/U before Spring 2024 or if an S/U course was taken above the 100-level before Spring 2024, those courses will count toward the major. However, if students have taken an S/U course before Spring 2024, they cannot count toward the major additional S/U courses taken in Spring 2024 and beyond.
Please contact Tosha Marshall or the DUS if you have any questions about this policy.